Hacklab Developer Census 2020
Basic Information
What describes you best?
The two biggest subgroups among the respondents are professional developers as well as students. Additionally, there are respondents coding as a part of their work, coding as a hobby, as well as former developers.
Do you code as a hobby?
Most of the respondents code as a hobby. Interestingly, professional developers seem to code for a hobby less often than students which may be related to their reduced time availability.
All Respondents
Professional Developers
Students
Employment
Most of the respondents are employed full-time. Furthermore, there is a great share of students. Sadly, there is also a significant share of unemployed developers looking for work.
When it comes to gender differences, there is a greater share of students among the female respondents. In addition, women seem to be self-employed less often when compared with men.
All Respondents
Men only
Women only
Where do the developers come from?
Region
Most respondents come from the greater Accra region. However, the extent of concentration in Accra seems to be larger for professional developers than for students.
All Respondents
Professional Developers
Students
City
Zoom in to get a more detailed picture.
Hover over the individual markers to see the professional status of the respondents.
How old are the respondents?
Most respondents are between 20 and 30.
While the students are very young in most cases, the professional developers display a little more variance in their ages. However, we have a very young sample at hand.
All Respondents
Professional Developers
Students
Technology and Tech Culture
How frequently do you learn a new language or framework?
All Respondents
Professional Developers
Students
Which programming, scripting and markup languages have you done extensive development work in over the past year?
HTML/CSS is the most used language, followed by JavaScript, Python and SQL. Professional developers are more likely to use JavaScript and SQL. C++ and C are still widely used to teach coding to students.
All Respondents
Professional Developers
Students
Which platforms have you done extensive development work in over the past year?
A comment here…
All Respondents
Professional Developers
Students
Which web frameworks have you done extensive development work in over the past year?
React.js is the most popular web framework.
All Respondents
Professional Developers
Students
Which other frameworks, libraries and tools have you done extensive development work in over the past year?
A comment here…
All Respondents
Professional Developers
Students
Which collaborative tools have you used extensively over the past year?
GitHub is by far the most popular version control tool. Slack is the most used business communication platform.
All Respondents
Professional Developers
Students
== Not sure yet how to combine this year and next year, tbd. For now they are separated. ==
Which programming, scripting and markup languages do you want to work in over the next year?
A comment here…
All Respondents
Professional Developers
Students
Which platforms do you want to work with over the next year?
A comment here…
All Respondents
Professional Developers
Students
Which web frameworks do you want to work with over the next year?
React.js is the most popular web framework.
All Respondents
Professional Developers
Students
Which other frameworks, libraries and tools do you want to work with over the next year?
A comment here…
All Respondents
Professional Developers
Students
Which collaborative tools do you want to work with over the next year?
GitHub is by far the most popular version control tool. Slack is the most used business communication platform.
All Respondents
Professional Developers
Students
What is the primary operating system in which you work?
Windows in the most used operating system. Professional developers use MacOS and Linux more often than other respondents. Students are overwhelmingly on Windows.
All Respondents
Professional Developers
Students
In which operating system would you rather work?
MacOS, Linux and Windows are practically tied as preferred systems. Professional developers have a preference for MacOS, then Linux. Students prefer Windows.
All Respondents
Professional Developers
Students
What level of influence do you, personally, have over new technology purchases at your organization?
Unsurprisingly, professional developers are more likely to have influence over new technology purchases.
All Respondents
Professional Developers
Q17. When buying a new tool or software, how do you discover and research available solutions? Select all that apply.
Most of the respondents declared relying on free trials and colleagues.
Education, Work and Career
Q18. Which of the following best describes the highest level of formal education that you have completed?
Most of the survey participants have at least a secondary high-school degree whereas half of the students have a secondary high school degree and every third professional developer has a bachelor’s degree
All Respondents
Professional Developers
Students
Q19. What was your primary field of study?
Most participants study or studied Computer Science or Computer Engineering, followed by Information Technology and other Engineering fields as well as Mathematics/Statistics and Business.
All Respondents
Professional Developers
Students
Q20. How important is a formal education, such as a university degree in computer science, to your career?
Half of the respondents find a formal education very or even critically important for their career.
All Respondents
Professional Developers
Students
Q21. From Q18, if you could go back and change your educational path (but end up in the same career), what would you change?
## change_edu_21
## 1 Approach to learning
## 2 Business or graphic design
## 3 change my school
## 4 Combination of modules I select for the course
## 5 Curriculum
## 6 field of study
## 7 How I learned programming
## 8 How the courses are taught
## 9 I will change the course I chose.
## 10 I woud have added something else to my studies
## 11 I woud not go to university
## 12 I would change my programme of study to computer science, or software engineering.
## 13 I would select information technology
## 14 I would study Computer Science
## 15 I'd probably have studied general arts in senior high, then turned the Computer Science department ict labs into my playground in University.
## 16 I'll do electronic and electrical engineering instead of computer science
## 17 In the university at the moment
## 18 learn more independently
## 19 learn programming earlier
## 20 Master degree
## 21 Material engineering
## 22 More Focus on Mathematics
## 23 more practical work
## 24 My choice of course in high school because i was a visual arts student
## 25 My Choice of university of study
## 26 My Education
## 27 My final year elective courses
## 28 My tertiary institution
## 29 Nothing
## 30 Tech entrepreneurship should be a course to understand the business of tech.
## 31 The business course in secondary school
## 32 The learning platforms used
## 33 The non practical aspects of studies
## 34 The program of study. I would probably take a computer science course
## 35 Will advocate for modern trends to be taught
## 36 Would do computer engineering
## 37 Yes
## n perc perc_label
## 1 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 2 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 3 3 0.021582734 2.2%
## 4 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 5 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 6 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 7 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 8 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 9 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 10 7 0.050359712 5%
## 11 4 0.028776978 2.9%
## 12 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 13 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 14 12 0.086330935 8.6%
## 15 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 16 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 17 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 18 6 0.043165468 4.3%
## 19 6 0.043165468 4.3%
## 20 3 0.021582734 2.2%
## 21 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 22 7 0.050359712 5%
## 23 6 0.043165468 4.3%
## 24 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 25 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 26 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 27 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 28 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 29 52 0.374100719 37.4%
## 30 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 31 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 32 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 33 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 34 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 35 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 36 1 0.007194245 0.7%
## 37 7 0.050359712 5%Q22. How satisfied are you with your current job? (If you work multiple jobs, answer for one you spend the most hours on.)
A little bit than more of 50% of the respondents are slightly satisfied or satisfied with their current jobs. Whereas 20% are slightly dissatisfied or dissatisfied.
Relationship between job satisfaction and overtime work
Interestingly, people who work more than 3 times a week overtime are satisfied with their job. There seems no relationship that the more overtime the less job satisfaction. The tendency is rather the opposite.
Q23. Approximately how many people are employed by the company or organization you currently work for?
Half of the respondents work in a small company with less than 10 workers. Only 10% of the respondents work in a big company with more than 100 workers.
Q24. On average, how many hours per week do you work? Please enter a whole number in the box.
Working hours are quite evenly scattered across the scale from 0-80 hours a week.
Q25. How often do you work overtime or beyond the formal time expectation of your job?
Around 50% of the respondents work overtime on 3 or more days in a week.
Q26. Do you think your company has a good on-boarding process? (By on-boarding, we mean the structured process of getting you settled in to your new role at a company)
Q27. How could on-boarding at your company be improved?
## improve_onboarding_27
## 1 A little interview on the chosen choice of language
## 2 A standardized structure for onboard ding
## 3 Adequate funds for the right role
## 4 Assign mentors to newly assigned employees
## 5 Better background check
## 6 By applying more practical tests for the individual
## 7 By clearly defining the core functions of the various units/departments
## 8 By defining a structure in the first place
## 9 By establishing an HR Department
## 10 By improving the organisational structure to facilitate the work flow
## 11 Capacity building
## 12 Communication
## 13 Company needs to allow the organisational structures to work without interference and clear task to be assigned to new hires
## 14 Could have someone to take me through the code instead of having to understand it myself
## 15 Dedicated staff to handle on boarding process
## 16 Developing better internship systems for prospective workers
## 17 Documenting a structure
## 18 External trainings
## 19 Have orientation sessions before on-boarding
## 20 Having a standard onboarding process
## 21 I am quitting after nss
## 22 I don't know
## 23 I think just keep doing what they're doing will suffice.
## 24 I’m not sure
## 25 Improve the organizational structure
## 26 inclusiveness
## 27 It's great. Nothing comes to mind
## 28 It’s fine
## 29 It’s the best
## 30 Job positions should be made known
## 31 Let IT help desk raise tickets for each unit responsible for delivering into the process
## 32 more
## 33 More coding workshops
## 34 More documentation of code
## 35 More employment
## 36 More focus on developers
## 37 More innovation and creativity
## 38 More interaction with leads
## 39 More specific training to understand fully the role as opposed to general orientation.
## 40 N/A
## 41 Need new machines
## 42 No idea
## 43 None
## 44 Not working in a company
## 45 Observation through hard work
## 46 Orientation for new employees
## 47 Pair a new developer with developer skilled in his art within the organization and is willing to help
## 48 Proper documentation of existing softwares
## 49 Proper documentation of infrastructure
## 50 Providing mentorship and an enabling environment for learning
## 51 Retention of talents..
## 52 Roles could be properly defined and documented
## 53 Roles need to be well spelt out and every necessary document handed before start of work.
## 54 Scripts to set up devices, documentation of help new team members familiarize themselves with the different projects
## 55 Set the expectations on the role earlier
## 56 set up a tutorial on the stack being used, architecture and how the development cycle goes
## 57 Slower rollout. Everything happens too fast, so it doesn't stick
## 58 Structured Onboarding program
## 59 The best I have encounter, won't change a thing.
## 60 There is no nee for any improvement
## 61 Through IT skills
## 62 Through orientation
## 63 to employee more workers
## 64 Training in specific fields should be better encouraged
## 65 With some experience
## n perc perc_label
## 1 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 2 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 3 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 4 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 5 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 6 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 7 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 8 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 9 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 10 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 11 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 12 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 13 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 14 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 15 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 16 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 17 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 18 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 19 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 20 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 21 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 22 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 23 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 24 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 25 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 26 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 27 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 28 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 29 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 30 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 31 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 32 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 33 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 34 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 35 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 36 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 37 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 38 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 39 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 40 2 0.02985075 3%
## 41 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 42 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 43 2 0.02985075 3%
## 44 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 45 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 46 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 47 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 48 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 49 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 50 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 51 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 52 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 53 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 54 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 55 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 56 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 57 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 58 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 59 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 60 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 61 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 62 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 63 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 64 1 0.01492537 1.5%
## 65 1 0.01492537 1.5%Q28. How much is your monthly salary in Ghana Cedis?
50% of the respondents earn less than 2000 GHS per month.
All Respondents
Only Women
Only Men
Q29. Which of the following best describes your current job-seeking status?
60% of the respondents are open for new job oppourtunities and one in three respondents is even actively looking for a job.
Q30. In general, what drives you to look for a new job? Select all that apply.
The main reason for developers is more income whereas for students it is gaining more experience and skills improvement.
All Respondents
``
Professional Developers
Students
Q31. When job searching, how do you learn more about a company? Select all that apply.
The most popular method to find out more about a company among the respondents is researching company media. There also seem no differences between developers and students.
Q32. Are you a member of any other online/offline developer communities?
2 in 3 respondends are part of a developer community.
Q33. Developer communities you are a member of
The three largest communities to which respondents indicated membership were DevCongress (13.6%), Facebook Developer Circle (9.6%), and the Hacklab Foundation (7.4%).
Demographics
Gender
What Gender do you identify as?
There is a greater share of women among the students than among the professional developers.
Ghana’s developer community may become more representative in the upcoming years.
All Respondents
Professional Developers
Students
Do you identify as transgender?
Sexual orientation
Ethnicity
Do you have any dependents you care for?
Among our respondents, women seem to have dependents they care for less often than men do. This may partly be due to the fact, that more women are still in their studies and that the women in our sample may be younger than the men.
All Respondents
Only Men
Only Women
